Rate Article:

The closed Syrian embassy is pictured in Washington on March 18, 2014. The US closed down Syria's embassy in Washington and ordered its remaining diplomatic staff to leave the country if they were not US citizens. (AFP)

The Russian ministry continued by saying the US move demonstrates that Washington is not willing to assist in destroying Syria’s chemical weapons, which cannot be achieved without direct cooperation with Damascus.

Furthermore, the Russian ministry said the US decision contradicts the agreement reached earlier by Moscow and Washington “to work together energetically on a peaceful solution to the crisis in Syria.”

This is while the Syrian Foreign Ministry called Washington's decision illegal, describing the unilateral move as a clear violation of the Vienna Convention that governs diplomatic relations between nations.